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Phở
Phở (Vietnamese pronunciation: [fə᷉ː] ( listen)) is a Vietnamese noodle soup, usually served with beef (phở bò) or chicken (phở gà).1 The soup includes noodles made from rice and is often served with basil, lime, bean sprouts, and peppers that are added to the soup by the diner. Phở History The origin of phở is uncertain, and is mostly culled from oral histories.2 While a distinctly Vietnamese dish, phở has French and Chinese influences.2 Still, the consensus among academics, diners and restaurateurs is that it originated about a century ago in northern Vietnam.2 The specific place of origin appears to be southwest of Hanoi in Nam Dinh province, then a substantial textile market, where cooks sought to please both Vietnamese (local rice noodles - originally of Chinese origin) and French tastes (cattle before the French arrival being beasts of burden, not frequently sources of beef).23 It was originally sold by vendors from large boxes, until the first phở restaurant was opened in the 1920s in Hanoi.[ The origin of the word was one subject in a seminar on phở held in Hanoi in 2003.2 One theory advanced at the seminar is the name comes from the French feu (fire), as in the dish pot-au-feu, which like phở uses the French method of adding charred onion to the broth for color and flavor, one of the techniques which distinguishes it from other Asian noodle soups.234 Some believe the origin of the word to be the Chinese fen (粉).5 In addition to rice noodles, multiple spices (such as star anise and cinnamon) are staples of Chinese cuisine (although the cinnamon used in phở, Saigon cinnamon, is not a true cinnamon and is a local ingredient[which?]). Linguistically, the etymology of the name is not likely to be French. In the Vietnamese language, the word phở carries a non-flat category, whereas most French loanwords carry a flat tone, sắc or nặng tone, depending on the end consonant except loanwords which end with -t, -p, -c or -ch. Phở does not match this rule.6 Some observers2 believe phở may come from the Cantonese rice vermicelli hofan (河粉) which are interchangeably abbreviated as either fan27 (粉, phấn in Tự Hán Việt) or Ho28 (河, Hà inTự Hán Việt ), the two sounds giving the name "phở".2 Both fan and pho refer to the same rice noodles found in Vietnam and Guangdong, China, suggesting rice noodles may have been brought to Vietnam by Cantonese immigrants from the Guangdong province in the early 20th century. The noodles are cooked identically in both places, and are often seasoned using fish sauce, garnished with bean sprouts, and served with meatballs and sliced beef. Vietnamese phở, however, is further garnished with fresh mint, cilantro (coriander leaves), basil, bean sprouts, limes, sliced chili peppers and sliced raw beef;9 this is especially true of Saigon-style phở. Furthermore, the broth of phở is made of beef bones and fresh onion, whereas the Cantonese broth of fan is made of dried flatfish and other seafood. In some regional varieties, the Vietnamese broth may also have a mildly sweet flavour from Asian yellow rock sugar, but the Cantonese version is not. The variations in meat, broth and additional garnishes such as lime, bean sprouts, ngo gai (culantro), hung que (Thai/Asian basil), and tuong (bean sauce/hoisin sauce) appear to be innovations introduced in the south.2 Phở did not become popular in South Vietnam until 1954 Possibly the earliest reference to phở in English was in the book Recipes of All Nations edited by Countess Morphy in 1935. In the book, phở is described as "an Annamese soup held in high esteem...made with beef, a veal bone, onions, a bayleaf, salt, and pepper, and a small teaspoon of ''nuoc-mam''."[citation needed] With the Vietnam war and the victory of the North Vietnamese, phở was brought to many countries by Vietnamese refugees fleeing Vietnam from the 1970s onwards. It is especially popular in large cities with substantial Vietnamese populations and enclaves such as Paris in France, the West Coast of Canada,10 the West Coast and Texas in the United States, and the immigrant areas in the western suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne of Australia, and Hong Kong.[citation needed] . Phở Recipe Ingredients *4 quarts beef broth *1 large onion, sliced into rings *6 slices fresh ginger root *1 lemon grass *1 cinnamon stick *1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns *1 pound sirloin tip, cut into thin slices *1/2 pound bean sprouts *1 cup fresh basil leaves *1 cup fresh mint leaves *1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves *3 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced into rings *2 limes, cut into wedges *2 (8 ounce) packages dried rice noodles *1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce *1 dash hot pepper sauce *3 tablespoons fish sauce Directions #In a large soup pot, combine broth, onion, ginger, lemon grass, cinnamon, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer for 1 hour. #Arrange bean sprouts, mint, basil, and cilantro on a platter with chilies and lime. #Soak the noodles in hot water to cover for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain. Place equal portions of noodles into 6 large soup bowls, and place raw beef on top. Ladle hot broth over noodles and beef. Pass platter with garnishes and sauces.